With critical and box office hits like 2022’s “No” and the new theatrical release “One of these days” Keke Palmer is entering her star era, and according to her, it’s been a long time coming.
In a recent interview with The CutPalmer reflected on her time as a child actress in movies like “Akeelah and the Bee” and the Nickelodeon show “True Jackson, VP.” While many of her peers received a lot of attention from similar work, Palmer always felt a little ignored.
“I wasn’t necessarily in the same conversations as Victoria Justice or Selena Gomez or Miley Cyrus back in the day,” she said. “It was very much ‘That’s the Black show’ or ‘That’s Keke Palmer, the Black girl on the network.’
At the time, Palmer was only 15 years old, so this was not only difficult to understand, but to deal with emotionally.
“There’s a loss of innocence that comes with the awareness that you’re being treated differently than I had accepted a long time ago,” Palmer said. She later added about how she feels now, “I don’t compare myself to anybody. But I definitely don’t compare me to any white person.”
Palmer has also become more involved in shaping the material she’s a part of, as she recently served as an executive producer on “One of Them Days” in addition to co-starring with SZA. The script to filmwritten by Syreeta singletone, went through the normal round of studio drafts, giving Palmer the chance to put his own spin on it the material.
“I had to be really specific about what needed to change, what the jokes were going to say, what story we’re telling about where these two characters are coming from,” she told The Cut. “I was more than just an actor doing the part. I really cared about the project as a whole.”
Another project she’s looking forward to getting out there is Boots Riley’s second directorial venture, the dark comedy “I Love Boosters.” The film is described as a satire on consumerism and the culture it creates, but even beyond the material, getting the chance to collaborate with a creative visionary like Riley was enough to draw Palmer to the project.
“He’s so unique. He talks about real issues but makes them digestible in this poignant and funny way,” says Palmer. Teasing the four women that “I Love Boosters” revolves around, she added, “They’re trying to make a living in a world that feels impossible to make a living in. You can’t make the world care about you. You just can’t. But if you do your best, you can build a community and fight for things you want.”
“I Love Boosters” also stars Demi Moore, Eiza González, Poppy Lio, Naomi Ackie, Will Poulter, LaKeith Stanfield and Taylour Paige, and is produced by Annapurna Pictures and Neon.
“One of Them Days” is currently in theaters from Sony Pictures.
